Michael Swickard's new novel about New Mexico

A new plan predicts that Albuquerque's water use will rise 21 percent
by 2024, as population growth outstrips conservation efforts.

The Albuquerque
Journal reports that the new long-range plan was approved Wednesday by the
Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility board. The new conservation
strategy is aimed at reducing per-capita consumption to 135 gallons per person
per day by 2024, a 9 percent reduction from the current 148 gallons.

But
Katherine Yuhas, the water utility's conservation officer, says because
population in the utility's service area projected to grow from the current
640,000 to 810,000 by 2024, overall water use is expected to rise.

U.S. Senators Martin
Heinrich and Tom Udall have introduced an amendment to S.744, the
senate immigration reform bill, that will help increase bilateral trade and
improve ports of entry along the Southwest United States
border.

The amendment would extend the commercial and private hours of
operation for vehicles at the Santa Teresa Port of Entry from 12 hours to 24,
help facilitate trade, and enhance national security along the port of
entry.

Extending the hours would also enable traffic that currently crosses in
El Paso, Texas, to travel through New Mexico, reducing the heavy congestion in
El Paso and the strain on Customs and Border Protection in the region.

An evacuation order for a historical mining town
near a raging fire in southern New Mexico's Gila National Forest has been
lifted.

Incident Commander Matt Reidy said Thursday that Kingston residents
with special entry permits will be allowed to return to the town. Residents
were evacuated last week after the lightning-caused fire moved closer to the
town.

Officials say the inferno have grown by Thursday to 57 square miles just
as firefighters finish setting up protections around a nearby historic mining town.
The fire's growth was blamed on persistent hot and dry weather which caused it
to expand another 10 square miles overnight.

The wildfire is expected to burn
more acreage throughout the week, spilling smoke into nearby towns.